Stress Relief
by Strausser
Summary: After the battle in Hades, Emperor Hades and Athena sit down and talk about the future. Features Persephone. First story in the Second Chances Timeline. Explains how the adventure could continue after the Hades arc. Heaven arc never existed.


**Title:** Stress Relief

**Author:** Strausser

**Rating:** PG-13

**Spoilers:** Hades arc

**Timeline:** _Second Chances_ Timeline

**Warnings:** None

**Disclaimer:** Saint Seiya is owned and operated by Kurumada Masami-sensei. I love them, thus I make them play with me.

Hades, emperor of the Underworld, with his niece Athena, goddess of civilization, sat on plush thrones on a rock cliff overlooking a giant expanse of rocky land where the souls of the dead wandered about, to and fro back and forth, having no direction nor purpose, with no one to intervene. The two gods sipped blood-red wine from tall chalices embroidered with gold, staring ahead, each in his or her own thoughts. Hades moved the glass to his lips and was in the middle of taking a sip when he heard:

"I've beaten you again, Uncle."

He choked on his wine, sputtered some of the red onto his black robe. "Why must you constantly remind me of my short-comings as the ruler of Hades?" Question asked but he expected no answer, and none he received. "It's not my fault, you know. I was brainwashed."

"Please don't use that excuse," said Athena in her normal, serene manner. "I have suffered enough loss. I should not have to feel sorry for you as well."

"You've suffered loss? What about me? Look at this place! In my absence it's turned into Dante's _Inferno_. Not that there's anything wrong with Dante's _Inferno_, it's just not my Hades." He pouted. "Without my Spectres this place has fallen to the dogs." He waved his hand to indicate the rock land of souls. "Just look at them, niece. Wandering around like mindless zombies, all of them. It's enough to make me quit drinking."

Athena's smile was not quite a smirk as she asked, "What do you plan on doing about it?"

Hades thought for a moment. "Hmm." He took a large gulp of his wine, stared at the distant horizon, then burst out, "Aha! I've got it!"

Athena had jumped at the outburst, but quickly recovered herself. "What have you got?"

Proudly, Hades said, "I'm going to resurrect all the fallen from our battle."

Athena's eyes nearly popped out her head. "What?"

"Your Saints, my Spectres, everyone." Hades' lips were a giant smile. "If we work together, we can get it done in a day."

"Why would you want to bring everyone back?"

Hades' smile dropped. He pouted again. "Because I need them! I can't do everything myself; it's too much stress, and I can't wait for them to reincarnate. Look, my hair is already starting to fall out." To emphasize, he ran fingers through long, black locks to pull strands that stuck to his fingers. "They calm me. They pet me."

"They pet you?"

"Yes. My three Judges double as my personal stress relief. Without them, all I do is sleep. I've been sleeping for too long; I want to be awake for once."

"Do you think Aunt Persephone will be angry with this?"

"Not really. She gets something out of it too. But she won't allow them to resume their former positions without serious reprimand." He hung his head. "She hates Pandora, and won't listen to me when I say that my sister was being manipulated just like I was. She's so stubborn."

"Not stubborn," corrected Athena, "just stuck in her ways. I am certain she will find it in her heart to forgive your sister for everything. She has that kindness."

Hades looked incredulous. "Um, Athena? You do know we are speaking of my wife, right? Persephone? Your aunt? She has not even forgiven me for that incident two hundred and fifty years ago. It will take her another two hundred and fifty years to forgive Pandora."

"She is not as cruel as you think her to be."

"She is not as kind as you think her to be."

"But she will assist in resurrecting my Saints and your Spectres?"

"Yes." Hades took another gulp of his wine, more to calm himself than because he enjoyed the flavor. "Even if it's only to punish my warriors by forcing them to work overtime."

Athena started to smile, but then became anxious. "What will my Saints do now that we are at peace?"

"Have a life. Go out, get married, have some babies, whatever."

For some reason, Athena chuckled. "Get married and have babies?"

"Why is that funny?"

"Well, first of all, most of my Saints are gay. I don't see them settling down. . ."

"They're all gay?"

Athena took a moment's pause. "Most of them, yes."

Hades' mouth was open so wide he could catch flies. If there were flies.

"Is it really so shocking?" asked Athena.

"Not the more I think about it." He paused. "Why would they agree to protect you if they were not being led around by their balls?"

Athena chuckled, her voice like music. "They are my Saints; they made an oath to protect me. Who they want to bed is of no consequence to me." She took a small sip of her wine. "Actually, it makes things easier for me. They can get rid of any frustrations they have on their own, and I can sleep comfortable in the knowledge that their fantasies do not include me."

Hades laughed. "That's one way to look at it. Another way would be to say that you have very good gaydar."

"I always have Uncle."

"Yes. That you have."

Athena continued. "Another good thing is that there are no unwed mothers coming to Sanctuary for child support. Some of my Saints would have been fathers twenty times over if they were inclined towards women."

Hades laughed again. "Sanctuary-cum-day-care center."

Athena grimaced. "And what kind of life would these poor mothers have? Their baby's daddies are not salary men. I'd take care of all their monetary needs, but those mothers would need an emotional support system that my Saints would not be able to provide. Just think about some of their personalities. Do you really think they would be good fathers?"

Hades laughed heartily, picturing some of the more colorful Saints as dads. "And what about when their wives ask, 'Where are you going?' and they answer, 'To Athena's side'. The wives would get so jealous they may threaten your life, thus becoming the enemies your Saints have to fight."

"Yes, that too."

Hades wiped a tear of mirth from his eye. "Oh, thank you, Athena. I needed that. And I think Persephone will indeed help us bring them back, if only for that single reason."

Athena smiled a knowing smile. "I knew there was a reason I was always fond of Aunt Persephone."

There was silence then, as Athena sipped her wine and Hades tried to stop smiling from pictures of chaos. The wandering souls had quieted down as well, and now stood in groups or sat on the rocks together.

"When can we begin?" asked Athena. "I am eager to get back. Unless, of course, you have changed your mind."

"Oh, no, I have not changed my mind. I cannot. Like I told you before, I need my Spectres. I despise this _Inferno_. And in order for me to bring back my crew, yours will have to be brought back as well." Hades finished the wine in his glass, then threw it down to shatter on the ground. "We can begin just as soon as Persephone arrives, which should be in a few hours or so."

Athena finished her wine and threw the glass against the rock ground just as her uncle had. "Let us go then." She rose from her chair.

Hades followed. "Let us go."

Persephone raised an eyebrow. "What, exactly, are we doing, husband?"

"I'm sick of sleeping. I want to return Hades to its former glory." Hades paced back and forth in front of his wife in the crumbling room that had once been the parlor of their glorious mansion. "Just look at this place! Dust from corner to corner, crumbling walls and broken furniture. It sickens me to look at it. And don't even get me started on what has been done out there!" He pointed a shaking finger in the direction of the breadth of Hades, where the souls of the dead were now wandering with confusion. After being condemned for centuries to the torture of Hades, many did not know what to do with themselves now that their eternities have disappeared.

"And to achieve it," she said while crossing her arms before her, "you need to resurrect your fallen Spectres?"

"I need them, Persephone!" He stopped before her with wide, pleading eyes. "You know I can not do this alone. Just look at what has happened the last time they left me. This place is like Dante's. . ."

She put up a hand. "Say no more. I understand. I will assist you, but only because I know the stress of this job. However, your warriors will have to earn my forgiveness."

Hades felt the relief like a flood from the river Styx. "I understand. Thank you, darling."

"Hypnos and Thanatos will remain under the ice of Cocytus for the next thousand millennia for the crimes they committed."

"Darling, please be reasonable. . ."

"Pandora will be returned without memory to Earth."

"But she's my. . .what?" That statement took Hades by complete surprise.

Persephone smiled. "She is your Earthly sister. I will not condemn her for loving you, and for doing what she believed was your wishes, but I will not allow her to retain knowledge of who she is or who you are. She will live out her life on Earth, marry, have a family and die of old age. Her memories will return once she has been brought back here. We can deal with her then."

Hades' mouth opened and closed wordlessly a few times, until he finally bowed his head and said, "Thank you."

"And what of those who deserve Dante's _Inferno_?"

"Sweetheart. They are human. They all deserve Dante's _Inferno_." He began to pace again. "But that does not mean I am going to give it to them."

Persephone cocked her eyebrow again. "Who are you? And what have you done with my husband?"

Hades stopped, sighed and hugged his wife. "This is always what happens. I sleep, go crazy, try to bring Earth to my level, get beaten, get yelled at and profess to change my ways. Only this time, I had the opportunity to inhabit the body of somebody I really should have stayed away from from the start."

Persephone hugged her husband back. "You are referring to Andromeda Shun?"

"Yes. Not only could I not suppress his emotions, but I could not defeat his convictions. I felt everything he felt and understood everything he thought. I had thought that as a god I was immune to such things. And being the lord of Hades, I thought no amount of sadness or pain could affect me."

"You have always been sensitive, Hades," whispered Persephone. They rocked together in a slow dance. "And have tried to hide your kindness under the guise of conquering the Heavens and Earth. Your wish to prove your worth as the eldest of three brothers causes you to make rash decisions and go head-first into battle without taking the time to think about the consequence. And when all is said and done, you feel guilt for what transpired. You may be a god, but you are not immune to emotions."

"You are so wise, my darling, and know thine husband well."

"We have been married for many, many years. Any other woman would have disowned you by now." She pulled back, they kissed, and she left the warmth of his embrace. "We should appoint a team to handle those souls who wish to repent."

"Right."

"Should Minos regain his former position as Judge?"

"No. Minos is cruel. Not even a nun could pass into Elysium according to him."

"Mm. I take it we are reestablishing the towns?"

"That would be best. The towns were always my favorite way of caring for the dead. I will appoint a new Judge, somebody who can be fair enough to group like souls together."

"I recommend Shedim Shahar. He has always been a stickler for fairness, and he is a Libra."

Hades nodded. "Agreed."

"I will assign the Spectres their new duties. Rhadamanthys, Minos and Aiakos will spend some time groveling before they regain favor."

"I knew you would say that."

Persephone smiled. "They are your three Judges, your ace warriors, they should take fault for what happened here. I suspect none will oppose my judgment."

"No. They will not."

She took in a deep breath. "Now." She took up Hades' hands. "Where is our dear niece, Athena?"

Using the powerful Cosmos of three gods, Athena, Hades and Persephone, all the fallen of the eighty-eight Saints, and all one hundred eight Spectres were brought back to life. It was a grand success, but what the gods failed to calculate was that everyone as brought back in the same place, and when it was realized that they were facing one another again, the Saints grouped together to face off against the Spectres. Wyvern Rhadamanthys stepped up and was met with equal resistance from Gemini Kanon.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Athena. "We must stop them. They could end up killing each other again."

Persephone placed a hand on her niece's shoulder. "Do not worry. They can't kill each other again."

Hades walked past them and toward the group where he could feel the Cosmos like a heavy curtain. Using his own Cosmos, he cut through the curtain and stepped up to the center where he stood like a dark beacon.

"Emperor Hades," whispered the Spectres. Once they noticed he was standing there, one by one they took a knee and bowed their heads. Rhadamanthys was the last one to drop, and he did so with a reluctant look on his face, as if by dropping lower than Kanon he was somehow submitting not to Hades, but to the Saint.

"There will be no more fighting between you," ordered Hades in his most authoritative voice, keeping his expression neutral. "We are at peace, Athena and I, so you are now at peace as well."

There were grumbles, but no argument from the Spectres. The Saints stared with wide eyes.

"Spectres of Hades," he began again. "You are hereby returned to life by the combined efforts of myself, Athena and the beautiful, wise Persephone. New tasks await you here, and you will be allowed to return to Earth at your leisure once the tasks are complete. Rise now and line up by rank before the Empress."

Persephone took her cue and joined her husband. The Spectres bowed their heads to her in unison before rising and lining in rank. She moved to the side to allow herself room to address them without being in the way, but remained silent as she waited for Hades to finish addressing the others.

"Saints of Athena," he said. "You are hereby free to leave this realm and return to Earth with you goddess. What you make of your life is now up to you. I do not hope to see you again in this place for a long, long time."

There were gasps and shocked expressions and murmurs of disbelief, but when Athena approached them, all that turned to trust and faith in her. They all dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.

"Athena," began Kyokou Shion. "We have done nothing to deserve this. Why allow us to return to a life that would have no place for us?"

There was a hint of hidden bitterness in his voice that rang out clearly to Athena, who smiled as she looked at him with care. "I understand your feelings, Shion. I know how much you miss your friends."

Shion's cheeks reddened slightly as his eyes cast away.

"They have all been released into the cycle of reincarnation." He voice conveyed empathetic sadness for her oldest and dearest Saint. "If you wish to be returned to that cycle, I will release you into Hades' custody."

Shion took a deep breath and let it out heavily. "No." The decision seemed to weigh on him. "I am yours to do with as you please. If you wish me to return to Earth, then that is what I shall do."

Athena smiled. "I think it would be beneficial for everyone if you were allowed to live once more. If not for yourself, than for others who need you."

He looked up at her with an expression of shock. She smiled sweetly upon him, trying to tell him with her eyes that she knew about that which he had kept secret for many years. The weight seemed to drift slowly from his shoulders as he bowed a bit lower. She could see that more than one of the other Saints looked relieved that Shion decided to stay.

"You will always have a place in Sanctuary," she told them. "And a place in the world to protect those you love. I will care for each of you, and in turn, I want you to care for the Earth, and for each other."

There was no response, but she could hear their hearts agreeing with her.

Hades joined Persephone once Athena greeted her Saints. Persephone leaned in toward her husband. "Quite selfish, isn't she, forcing the first generation to join the second."

"Their meetings were few and far between the first time around," explained Hades, without explaining anything. "She wants to give them the full opportunity to nurture their feelings. There is a slight possibility that they would meet again should they choose the cycle of reincarnation, but would they still be in love? That is a variable none can control."

Persephone grabbed her husband's arm. "You will explain what you are talking about, later."

"Yes, dear. I will tell you everything."

They stood together to watch their brave and kind niece walk from Hades with her Saints. She raised a hand in farewell without turning around before they all disappeared behind a flash of golden light. Once gone, Hades kissed his wife on the cheek, then left her to her business.

"Now!" Persephone boomed, grabbing the attention of all the Spectres who stood at attention before her, in their formation of three in the front, one line of nine, then eight lines of twelve. She smiled at them like a predator to prey. "Let's get to work."

owari


End file.
